Mad, Mad Wonderland
by musiclover3
Summary: Wonderland!AU In the small town of Wonderland, many different characters reside there. Amy finds herself on a quest to find out the truth of how Wonderland came to be, while the other residents find themselves dealing with thefts, hidden treasure, a sinister plot, and worst of all... romance.
1. Alice

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter One: Alice**

Amy Cahill was a scholar, or at least, she liked to think she was. In reality, she was actually a librarian, but when asked her profession, she claimed she was a scholar. It sounded much more sophisticated than _librarian._

Many who knew Amy Cahill never would have guessed she would have become a librarian. She had always been a bright girl, what with her perfect grades and love of learning. Many would have guessed that she would have become a doctor or a teacher, but most certainly not a _librarian._

Not that there was anything wrong with librarians. Amy practically lived and breathed books. She would read things from dictionaries to phone books to textbooks. She practically lived in her local library, and probably would have if she could. If she had had the time, she would have read every single book in her library. She had made a promise to herself to give every book at least one try. Never judge a book by its cover, right?

Amy had graduated high school as valedictorian in her class. Everyone who knew her agreed that she had a bright future ahead of her. She had heard the same statements leading up to her last days of high school, _"You have a bright future ahead of you, Ms. Cahill." "We expect to hear many good things about you one day, Amy." "You'll surely become someone great." _Nobody expected her to become a librarian and move to a small town that wasn't even on the map.

Amy had her whole life planned from the start. She would become someone great, and have her name known all around. She would be known as more than the shy quiet girl in the back of the class. Really, the only people who actually noticed her were her teachers. She hadn't had any friends in high school, and she was always ignored and stepped on. Most people hadn't even known her name before she had been named the valedictorian; not that Amy minded very much. She would get her chance to shine one day.

Even after graduation Amy didn't know what she would do in college. There were so many different careers for her to try out, but there was only one Amy. She knew she couldn't do all of them, so what would she choose?

The answer came to her one day in the form of an email from her younger brother, Dan Cahill. They had been separated from each other after the death of their parents many years earlier. Their parents had died when Dan was still only in diapers, and so he barely knew anything about his sister, and Amy knew next to nothing about him. Dan had been taken in by their great-uncle Fiske and Amy had been taken in by their grandmother Grace. She still wasn't sure why this was, and her grandmother had died before she could ask.

Grace had always told Amy stories when she was younger. Fairytales about knights slaying dragons and princes saving princesses from evil step-mothers. Wonderful stories filled with fairies and wizards and magic. It was from her grandmother that Amy had gotten her love of books. Seemingly boring words were suddenly pure magic when they came from her grandmother's tongue, and Amy could really picture the stories coming to life in front of her. She could always somehow relate to the stories she read, and she could really feel like she was in the story. At times when Amy wanted to escape the reality of her life and seek adventure, she could always take out a book and get lost between the pages.

To her knowledge, her brother felt the complete opposite about books. From what she knew of him, he was the more 'I'd-rather-be-playing-video-games,' kind of guy. Besides the fact that he loved playing video games- "The violent ones! With zombies and aliens!"- she didn't know much about him. She had received 'Happy Birthday' cards every year and pictures of him every so often, but that was it. He rarely ever sent her emails or wrote her letters, and she didn't even _know _his phone number. Perhaps most people would be horrified at not knowing your own brother's phone number, and Amy had to admit that she felt guilty at times because of that. She knew next to nothing about her own flesh and blood, and she had made no move to learn more about him.

So it was surprising to see an email from him that Sunday morning. As she read through it with her weary eyes, the surprise just grew. It had asked for her to come and live with him for a while. "To get to know each other better," it said. When she saw the town in which he lived, she was confused. She had never heard of the town 'Wonderland' and thought for a moment that he was mocking her. That is, until she looked it up. Wonderland, apparently, was a small town somewhere in New England. She had never heard of it in her life, and couldn't help but be surprised to find that it existed. It seemed like a joke. After all, who named a town 'Wonderland'? But it was real as real could be, and after much consideration, Amy decided to accept her brother's proposal. Perhaps that would give her time to think about her future occupation. Not to mention that Amy was naturally curious. Her aunt Beatrice had always claimed that she was too curious for her own good, but Grace begged to differ. She had always told Amy that that was one of her strongest traits. _"Curiosity killed the cat," _Beatrice had always said. Her grandmother had always replied with, _"But satisfaction brought it back."_

After various rounds of emailing, Amy discovered that her brother had managed to get her a job as the librarian at the only library in town. Amy thought that it was sweet of her brother to get her a job that related to her interests. That is, until she found out that it was the only job her brother could get her. She supposed she should be happy that her brother had decided to get her a job at all.

After a month of preparation, Amy bought a plane ticket to Maine and a bus ticket to Wonderland, for Wonderland was much too small to have an airport of its own, and Dan claimed that he had no money to offer her, (Although Amy had a feeling that that was not true.) After many hours of staring at passing buildings and trees through the foggy window in the mostly empty train, Amy had finally reached her destination.

_~Curiouser and curiouser- Alice_

**a.n. **_I've always wanted to write a fic about the characters in The 39 Clues being based off the characters in 'Alice In Wonderland'. So I wrote this fic about 'Wonderland' being a small unknown town somewhere in New England and The 39 Clues characters being based off of the characters in Alice's Wonderland. _

_I put in a lot of thought into which characters were going to be which. I have certain reasons why I chose this character to be that character. And so I have a feeling that you probably won't expect most of whom I've based off of whom. The characters are based off of both Lewis Carroll's 'Alice In Wonderland' and QuinRose's 'Alice In The Country of Hearts,' or also known as 'Heart No Kuni No Alice,' which is both a manga and a game. I've only read the manga, since the game is pretty much a dating sim. :/ 'Alice In The Country of Hearts' is also based off of 'Alice In Wonderland'._

_Why I've based Amy off of Alice: In the original 'Alice In Wonderland' Alice is shown to be logical and curious. In 'Alice In The Country of Hearts' Alice is shown to react a little more realistically to Wonderland, and really only wants to get back home. She's also a lot more cynical than the original Alice, and is shown to be quite jealous of her older sister. In her Wonderland, all of the residents there have clocks for hearts, and if they die, they'll just be replaced with another clock, but won't come back the same person. They don't value life at all there, and so the residents find interest in Alice because of how much she actually values life. It's also kind of funny how all of the residents in Wonderland fall in love with her, like how Amy has Evan, Jake, and Ian fall for her, which is another reason why I based Amy off of Alice. I'll be having pretty much all the main characters in this story, and I've based them off of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice In Wonderland,' its sequel 'Through The Looking-Glass,' and QuinRose's 'Alice In The Country of Hearts.'_

_Just so you know, it took probably about two hours to write this because my computer shut down twice. The things I do for you all..._

_And do any of you mind going to my profile and going to the website at the bottom? It goes to my Wattpad account. I've only got one story so far and two chapters up, but I'd still love to hear from you all what you think of it._


	2. The Gnat

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter Two: The Gnat**

Dan Cahill didn't trust cars, not after the GPS incident. Really, he should have known trusting that man was not a good idea, but the GPS had come cheap, and the man had seemed trustworthy at the time.

That GPS had been the source of his woes since the moment he had bought it. It was a source of misfortune and pain, death and destruction. It was a demon in disguise, he was sure of it. Everyone had laughed at him when he told them this, but he knew better. They wouldn't be laughing the next time _they _bought a demon GPS.

He had bought it from a man selling various electronic devices on the side of a road. Dan had never been good with directions, and so he had always been late for various job interviews and dates with his girlfriend. So when he just so happened to stumble upon a man selling a GPS at a very low price, he thought he had hit the jackpot. It had seemed fine at first. The GPS had never been opened before, and it didn't seem damaged at all. It was when he opened it the problems started.

First of all, the intructions were in Japanese. Dan had never bothered to learn Japanese, even though he watched Japanese ninja movies on a regular basis, so it was quite a dilemma to find out that the instructions were in that language. After a few minutes of holding the instruction book in different directions to try to make sense of the words, he decided to just toss it out. After all, _real _men didn't ask for directions.

After a bit of messing around with it, he was finally able to punch in his destination, and that was when the troubles _really _started.

One moment he was on his way to his job interview, the next he was in the parking lot of McDonalds. Although he had gotten a pretty good meal out of that, he had been late for his job interview, and that put a damper on his day. It turned out to be just one of the many times his GPS let him down. His GPS had been the cause of many futile attempts of meeting up with his girlfriend on time. She had already been angry at him for being late for their dates _before _he had bought the GPS, so she wasn't very happy to receive the excuse that it was his GPS's fault every time he was late. She broke up with him a few weeks later, and he was never able to show up to his various job interviews on time.

At times he would just slam his head on the steering wheel and curse the world for his troubles. What had he done to make the universe mad at him? Was it because he had bought a GPS from a not-so-legal source on the side of a road? _Everyone _was doing that these days, so why was he the only one being punished? It was karma, he was sure of it, (and, ironically, that had been the name of his ex-girlfriend).

It was a sign, a sign that he would be miserable and girlfriend-less for the rest of his days.

A few weeks later, however, things seemed to have picked up. His uncle Fiske had, fortunately, managed to get him a job in town. _Un_fortunately, the job consisted of doing various errands for the 'Red Queen'. That wasn't her real name, but there was a rumor in town that claimed that she had been a murderer before she had moved there, and so she had picked up the nickname 'Red Queen' (She was also known as 'The Queen of Hearts' for her wonderful 'charity' work, but Dan didn't think that name suited her as much as 'Red Queen').

Dan didn't want to work for a murderer. He had a feeling that these 'errands' would consist of hiding the bodies and cleaning up the evidence.

Dan was still not convinced even when Fiske told him that he was to just pick up things for her in town. Dan knew the truth. The Red Queen would play nice and innocent for a while. She would try to make him trust her enough before she showed him her _real _self, and then he would have to do all she told him to do. Or worse, she would kill _him._ It wasn't a pleasant thought, and Dan was more of a prankster than a sadist, but he couldn't help but believe it.

So, really, the fact that he had invited his sister to stay with him while he worked for the Red Queen wasn't at all because he was afraid to stay home alone. Dan Cahill wasn't afraid of anything, _especially _someone like the Red Queen.

The video games were messing up his mind.

_~Off with their heads!- The Queen of Hearts_

**a.n. **_I really enjoy writing this story, so I'll probably update sooner than I did for my other stories. I've based some characters in 'The 39 Clues' on two characters from 'Alice In Wonderland,' 'Alice In The Country of Hearts,' and 'Through The Looking-Glass.' I think it's quite easy to see who I've based off of the Red Queen and The Queen of Hearts._

_Why I've based Dan off of the Gnat: The Gnat, I believe, is only in the original 'Alice In Wonderland'. There is no character for the Gnat in 'Alice In The Country of Hearts'. The Gnat loves jokes, which is why I based Dan off of the character. And let's face it, a gnat is an insect, and a lot of people might think they're annoying, right? They might think of it as a pest that just keeps flying around and bugging you. Dan is sometimes known to be annoying, so that's another reason why I based him off of the Gnat._


	3. The Knave of Hearts

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter Three: The Knave of Hearts**

It was common knowledge in Wonderland that Ian Kabra had a tea drinking problem. Most would have an alcohol problem, or even a coffee problem, but not him. He much prefered tea over alcohol or coffee. He had gotten drunk only once in his life, and he would prefer never to remember that night again (although it was quite hard to forget, seeing as that blasted Cheshire Cat took every opportunity to bring the topic up).

Ah, the Cheshire Cat, how he loathed her. That irritating smirk and mischievous glint in her eyes always made him want to shoot someone. It was widely known in town that Ian was trigger-happy. One wouldn't expect that trait to come from a young man such as him; it was too much of a foolish thought. But it was true, and it made others all the more wary of him.

And they had reason to be, seeing as he was an information broker. Some would think that it was a shady occupation, and Ian would agree with them. His work was nothing short of illegal, and yet it gave him a thrill. He was supposed to be the responsible, mature one in his family. He was expected to take over the family business and become just as successful as his parents were. And yet, it had become boring, working hard to live up to his parents' expectations. He had started to long for something more promising and thrilling than becoming just another successful businessman.

It was strange, he often mused, that he would be thinking of such things. Never in his life had he expected to become an information broker. True, his family had never been above going against the law, and yet becoming an information broker was just a bit too much. His parents would never approve if they knew of his real occupation.

It was refreshing, finally being able to hide something from his parents.

His parents seemed to know everything about their children's lives. They seemed to know exactly where they were and at what time. They knew what they did everyday and who they interacted with. It was suffocating, and Ian often felt as if they had trapped him in a cage.

But now the tables had turned. _He _was the one who knew everything about everybody. _He _was the one who could bend people to his will. He was the chess master, and everyone else were his pawns.

His real personality was much different than the usual personality everyone expected from him. To girls, he was chivalrous and charming, a real Knight in Shining Armor. He was the one girls could only dream of having. He was suave and smooth, handsome and slippery. Once a girl thought she had him in the palm of her hands, he would slip away as if he had never been there in the first place.

He could control everyone, everyone except the Cheshire Cat, that is. Once he would think he had finally bested her, she would slip away and he would find out that she had had an ace up her sleeve the whole time. It was as if they were playing a deadly game of cat and mouse, and Ian had no intention of losing. He would find the Cheshire Cat's weakness, just like he had found everyone else's, and he would finally beat her.

It was almost an obsession, the goal of wanting to beat her. She was a rare challenge that did not come around often. He had a feeling that if he let her go, she would never come back. It was almost pathetic, the way he so desperately held onto her. But Ian would never admit that fact aloud, for he still had his pride intact. It was one of the few things he would never let go of.

When one had an obsession with someone, many would immediately think that they were in love. The feelings Ian had for his obsession were anything _but _love. He hated her with all his being, and it was quite obvious that the feeling was mutual. They would mock each other on a regular basis, and it was not possible for them to have a casual conversation. Dealing with the Cheshire Cat was the only time Ian Kabra ever lost his cool.

And it was no small feat, everyone knew, making Ian Kabra loose his cool.

_No one_ made him as angry as the Cheshire Cat. Well, except for maybe his sister. And that stupid Gnat. But that was a conversation for another time.

He looked down at his tea in distaste. Thinking so much about the Cheshire Cat...

He was starting to act like that wretched Hatter.

_~ Those who say there's nothing like a nice cup of tea for calming the nerves never had real tea. It's like a syringe of adrenaline straight to the heart!- The Cheshire Cat_

**a.n. **_This chapter was horrible. I had no idea what I was doing when I wrote this chapter. Please forgive me. The only thing I knew at the start of writing this chapter was the first sentence and the last sentence. I really had no specific plans for this chapter. I feel like this chapter was more about the Cheshire Cat than Ian's actual character, but oh, well. Now you've learned more about her much earlier than I planned. I'm sorry if Ian was out of character in this chapter. But this is AU, and so I can make him as out of character as I want to. :)_

_Why I've based Ian off of The Knave of Hearts: The Knave of Hearts works for The Queen of Hearts in the original 'Alice In Wonderland' and I think it's pretty obvious who I've based The Queen of Hearts off of. In 'Alice In The Country of Hearts' The Knave of Hearts is named Ace. He seems to be cheerful and harmless at first, but he's shown to become much more devious over time and is actually very violent. He's an assassin and works for The Queen of Hearts, although she seems to not like him very much. He's the most skilled swordsman in Wonderland, but still has his flaws. And really, a lot of girls think Ian is good-looking and charming, and you'd expect a knight to be like that, right?_


	4. The Hatter

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter Four: The Hatter**

There were many residents in Wonderland that feared Jonah Wizard. Of all the residents living there, Jonah had the most rumors circulating his past. Some said he used to be a dangerous mafia boss in Italy, even though he didn't speak a word of Italian. Others said he was an assassin working against the government. Some said he was working _for _the government. Everyone had their own opinions circulating his past, but one thing was for sure: Jonah Wizard was not to be messed with.

In reality, Jonah was actually a very calm and laidback character. Sure, he always had guns strapped to his waist, or a knife hidden up his sleeve, but he was no more willing to use them than to kick a puppy. In his opinion, kicking puppies should be illegal, but no one would listen to reason.

_"Animal cruelty is already illegal, moron."_

_"Then why do people keep kicking puppies?"_

The Duchess just didn't understand his opinions, was all. After enough complaining and pleading, she would finally see the light. The Duchess was an important figure in town. If she demanded the roads to be paved, it would happen. If she wanted a building to be destroyed, it was knocked down the next day. Perhaps it was her demanding nature or her family's high status; or perhaps it was just the fact that everyone thought she was pretty, but Jonah decided to keep that thought to himself.

It was known around town that Jonah worked for The Duchess. It was strange to say the least. They were total opposites, and yet they seemed to work so well together. Anything The Duchess wanted, he would get for her. He was her personal assistant and bodyguard; her hero of sorts. He was there when she needed him, and in a way, he had grown fond of her. She wasn't as bad as most people thought. Sure, she could be demanding and rude at times. She was known to have violent tendencies and a sharp tongue, but who didn't in Wonderland? In his eyes, she was a young girl, confused and lonely in the world.

The Cheshire Cat would have called him foolish if she heard him say that, but he liked to believe himself as hopeful.

He liked to see the good in people before the bad. He had always been like that, but most people didn't realize that. They believed him to be dangerous and trigger happy. But that was The Duchess's crazy older brother, not him. In his mind, he was just plain Jonah Wizard, trying to make his way in the world.

He stared down at his tea, watching his rippling reflection on the surface. He had always had an obsession with tea ever since he was young. He could live off of just tea if he was allowed to, but the Cheshire Cat would always take his cup of tea away from him whenever he was with her, so he was careful to drink something else when he was in her company. He smiled at the thought of her. She was crazy and violent and everything he had ever wanted. He had always had a soft spot for her, and he liked to think she had a special fondness for him. Everyone in Wonderland knew that the only person she vaguely _liked _was Jonah. Of course, no one mentioned this. They still feared for their lives after all.

Jonah had always been concerned about the Cheshire Cat's various exploits. No one ever knew what she was going to do, and it bothered him to say the least.

_"Cats have nine lives."_

_"Yeah? Well, you only have one."_

It was a strange relationship they had. They would meet up at the only cafe in town once a week. They would order coffee and, depending on the Cheshire Cat's mood, one of them would pay for it. They would talk about their day: He would listen to her rant about some idiot who caused her anger, and he would smile and listen to her talk. Sometimes he felt like she was using him, but he didn't mind. Jonah knew that she used people to get what she wanted, and a part of him did feel like he was just another chess piece for her to control; another piece of her game. But he didn't mind much. He liked to believe that she liked him just a bit more than the other pieces she had finished using and tossed away. He had known her for much longer than they had, and someone manipulating you wouldn't want to stop your drinking habit, right? They wouldn't have rushed to your side when you were sick or have bought a present for you on your birthday (It was on sale for half off, yes, but at least she had bought him something.)

Was it a crime to believe that someone loved you? He often contemplated the answer to that question. Was it foolish to love someone who was likely using you for their own personal gain? _Yes, _he'd always answer. The Cheshire Cat was a liar, a traitor, a manipulator, but he stayed with her anyway.

She was most definitely lying to him, so it was okay to lie to himself, right?

_~Only a few find the way, some don't recognize it when they do- some... don't ever want to.- The Cheshire Cat_

**a.n. **_I'm sorry that this chapter was late. I had writer's block and my laptop was being all wacky, so I couldn't update. I'm not at all satisfied with this chapter, but I hadn't updated in a long time, so I wrote this chapter. It's shorter than the other ones, but I felt that you all deserved one after so long. The characters I write about in each chapter are based off of the 'Alice In Wonderland' character I put at the beginning of the chapter. It seemed some of you were confused, so I felt the need to clarify. :)_

_Why I've based Jonah off of The Hatter: The Hatter in 'Alice In Wonderland' recites riddles and poetry, and since Jonah's a Janus, I thought that fit him. In 'Alice In The Country of Hearts' The Hatter is named Blood Dupre, and he's the mafia boss in Wonderland, and we all know that Jonah likes to act like a gangster in canon._


	5. The Cheshire Cat

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter Five: The Cheshire Cat**

Sinead Starling had many names, and none of them were good. But the name she was most prominently known by was the Cheshire Cat, mainly because she was as sneaky and clever as one. She could pick a lock in a few seconds flat, and she seemed to know every deep, dark secret the town was hiding. She was known to authorities as a dangerous threat to the safety of all citizens, but to people who knew her personally… she was even more dangerous than that.

She was part of a proud lineage of powerful historical figures who dated back to the Revolutionary War; royalty as powerful as the kings of England; well-known businessmen who could send you off to Africa with one phone call; government officials who weren't the most… dedicated to their country. She could have been any one of these people if she had wanted to be. But no, instead she had shamed her family and moved to Wonderland, a town that even the government probably didn't know existed. "_It was a shame, _they'd say. _To have such talent and potential wasted." "You had such promise, Sinead. You could have been the best." "Even a thief would have brought this family more glory than you have in the last few years."_

It didn't hurt. In fact, Sinead took pleasure that her family was acting as according to plan. She had a plan for Wonderland, a huge chess game that would allow her to find the town's deepest, darkest secrets. And perhaps find the treasure as well.

If Wonderland had treasure, Sinead was going to find it, one way or another.

Many people who challenged her soon found out that she wasn't as innocent or weak as she seemed. She could act like anyone, from an innocent, naïve girl, to a charming socialite. No one would know who she was; that was the wonders of fake IDs. Her opponents underestimated her, or even over calculated her worth. She would be the first to admit that she wasn't a genius. She couldn't hack into the world's finest bank. She couldn't break into Area 51. Not without help at least.

She wasn't the best criminal out there, but she was a good one, and no one could say any different.

She loved to play with her opponents' minds. Find their darkest secret, break them, and let them think they won until she took out her final card. She was always the victor, and it was almost sad how easy scamming all of them could be.

Then the Kabra boy came along.

He wouldn't give up, no matter what she did or how many times he lost. He would get back up and refuse to let her win. He was determined to find her weakness and break her down until she could never get back up again. He was her biggest opponent; she had never met someone like him.

He reminded her of herself.

And she had to admit, it wasn't a flattering image.

Did she always look so cold and ruthless, like a cobra about to strike? So cruel and sinister, showing her prey no mercy? The Knave of Hearts always looked this way, and she couldn't understand how so many people couldn't see that; couldn't see the _real _Ian Kabra hidden behind the mask.

She almost felt sorry for him.

The stupid Kabra.

She wasn't weak or spineless in the slightest, and was always known to have her poker face on. No one could see behind her firmly placed mask, and she liked it that way.

But that Hatter changed everything.

He could see every emotion, every move that she made. He could see behind the so firmly placed mask that she had put on, and she didn't like it. She wasn't used to it. She had never met someone who always knew what she was thinking, always knew what she was feeling. It left a strange feeling in her stomach, and it wasn't flattering.

She had wanted nothing to do with him at first. He had first come off as charming and cool, almost like a prince, and it scared her, because no one had ever treated her like that before. He teased her and held conversations with her on a regular basis. He wasn't at all like the descriptions of him said he was, and although he _was _sort of a pushover, he was also charming and intelligent, and she didn't like it. She didn't know the _real _Jonah Wizard, and she wasn't used to not knowing. She knew everything about everyone in town. She knew Ian Kabra was hiding his shady occupation from his parents. She knew Dan Cahill had invited his sister to stay with him for fear of the Red Queen. She even knew that the Duchess was afraid of nothing except for her mother.

She knew everything about everyone, so why could she never seem to understand him?

It was a game; a puzzle; and she had no intention of pushing it aside and shoving it to the back of the closet for another day. She would eventually know everything about him; she would just have to be patient. And she couldn't help but smirk at the thought.

And if he decided to fall in love with her in the process, well, that was his mistake, wasn't it?

After all, it wasn't her intention to fall in love with him.

_Oh, if only she knew._

_~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle. - Alice_

**a.n. **_Ah, this is late, sorry. I don't remember the excuse I had for this. I think it was because I wasn't sure who I'd write about in this chapter. It was between the Duchess and the Cheshire Cat, but I decided that it was high time for you to finally get to know the Cheshire Cat a little bit more. I couldn't resist the last sentence. Foreshadowing!_

_Why I've based Sinead off of the Cheshire Cat: …Let's face it people, there's really no need to explain. XD Sinead's just cat-like, you know? I find the Cheshire Cat in 'Alice In Wonderland' to be quite clever. The Cheshire Cat in 'Alice In The Country of Hearts' is named Boris Airway, and he loves riddles. He dresses in a punk sort of style, and he's quite reckless and childish at times. Really, he's nothing like Sinead, but her similarities with the original Cheshire Cat were too good to pass up._


	6. The Duchess

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter Six: The Duchess**

Natalie Kabra's only wish was to see Dan Cahill hanged, drawn, and quartered, but alas, the wish was not to be granted. It was a most violent and gruesome way to die, and she wasn't sure if she could stomach the sight of it, but she was willing to take the risk. But of course, law enforcement these days absolutely _refused _to consider it; the pansies.

It was a shame too; the world would certainly be a much better place without his most unfortunate presence.

She had given him his infamous nickname herself; the Gnat. It suited him perfectly, and she took pleasure in knowing that it caused some sort of an annoyance to him. They both made it their business to make each other miserable, but even Natalie had to admit; what he had done was unforgivable.

He had taken a job offering from her mother.

It was practically treason.

The two had some level of trust between them. He would never go so far as to completely ruin her reputation, and in return, she would stay away from his priceless collection of… things.

She wasn't so sure as to say what they were, but rest assured, she knew where he hid them.

But she was dangerously close to breaking that fragile band of trust between them. _He _had already done so. She would never have thought that he would sink so low as to take a job working for her mother, and as an _errand boy_ of all things. He would be picking up things for her in town and do this for her every day save the weekends. That would mean she would have to spend more time with _him_. She would have to be seen with him for much more than she would have liked. It would ruin her reputation, being seen with such a low class resident. And not only that, but he would have much more time to make her life miserable.

He was killing two birds with one stone.

Natalie was seen as the perfect daughter to her mother. She did all she could to make her proud and happy; did everything she was told to do. And she was certainly a better child to her than her brother was. She spent so much time with her mother every week, but it just wasn't enough. Her mother had always favored her brother better, no matter what she did to try to change that fact. Her mother had gone so far as to have _him _inherit the company and the savings. Natalie had been left out of it.

She tried so hard to be the perfect daughter. Why couldn't her mother see that? She certainly loved her more than her brother did; that fact was quite obvious. Her brother had always acted politely distant to their parents in every encounter with them. Stoic and almost cold, he would act as if they were just business partners; strangers. Perhaps he had a higher IQ than her, and perhaps he was more highly skilled in some areas, but Natalie Kabra was just as good as her brother. If anything, she deserved at least _some _share of the company.

The Kabras practically owned the whole town. They made it their business to know everything and everyone.

Her brother had gone above and beyond in that endeavor.

She knew of his occupation. She knew what he did every day. And she was almost positive that he had realized this.

If he was any good at his job, he most certainly knew this.

Natalie knew he wanted nothing to do with the company. Sure, it might be nice to inherit it, but whatever for? Wonderland was a small town. There was no local law enforcement besides those nasty Holts, and they could hardly be called that. No trains or buses passed through the town; not even a local airport bearing its name. Wonderland wasn't even on any map. No matter how hard you looked, you would never find the town of Wonderland on any website or find it mentioned in any books at the library.

To everyone else's eyes, Wonderland simply did not exist.

So Natalie often contemplated the worth of staying in the town. Her parents were resolute in their decision of staying there, no matter how many times she tried to convince them otherwise. She knew that her brother thought there was an ulterior motive to this, and no doubt he was investigating it himself.

_Something was going on in Wonderland._

It was a thought that had plagued Natalie's mind for a good while. Surely Wonderland must be worth _something _for her parents to be so interested in it. Hidden treasure, perhaps? Maybe a dark history that needed to be kept hidden? Natalie didn't know, but she knew that her brother did.

He always knew _everything._

The two Kabra siblings had never had the best relationship with each other. They were more 'allies when necessary' than 'siblings who would do anything for each other'. He would provide her with any information she needed, and she would pay for any expenses he needed paid. Any debts, money troubles; she would pay them all off. It was a strange sort of partnership they had, and it was by no means full of any obligation they might have felt towards one another.

They wouldn't hesitate to stab the other in the back if necessary.

Natalie had family troubles, but who didn't in Wonderland?

It was almost sad, really, the way she felt more betrayed by the irritating Gnat than her own brother.

_~If everybody minded their own business, the world would go round a great deal faster than it does. – The Duchess_

**a.n. **_I feel like this is longer than the previous chapters, but that might be wrong. I don't know. It certainly looks longer at the moment, but it's probably the same length as the other chapters. I wrote this up much quicker than I expected I would. _

_Why I've based Natalie off of the Duchess: In the original 'Alice In Wonderland' she is depicted as a most unattractive woman, and I quite liked the irony. XD At first the Duchess treated Alice harshly, and she was quite unpleasant to be around. Later on, however, she treats Alice much kinder, and seems to be almost charming. Much like Natalie, no? In 'Alice In The Country of Hearts' the Duchess is named Mary Gowland, and he runs the Amusement Park in Wonderland. He is prone to mood swings, and is quite sensitive about his name. _


	7. The White Knight

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter Seven: The White Knight**

Ted Starling liked to think that he was the smartest person in Wonderland. And really, he was, but to admit the fact would seem petty. He wasn't egotistical in the slightest; a bit prideful, maybe; but not egotistical. It was really just a known fact around the town.

As the only inventor in Wonderland, it surely made sense.

It seemed in the town of Wonderland, you either had an occupation no one else had, or you were nobody.

He was a well-known inventor, known around the country for his various inventions and contraptions. He was a celebrity, but the strangest thing was, no one seemed to know anything about him. He did no interviews, had no website; no one even knew how old he was. No one had any idea where he lived, and he liked to keep it that way. His personal life was his information only, and no one had to know anything about him.

His brother liked to call him a recluse, but who was he to judge?

Ted made inventions for anyone who wanted them. Of course, a price needed to be paid, but it was worth it, was it not? People liked to call him eccentric, but honestly, he was just crazy. All geniuses were crazy; it was a fact.

The inventor did all his work in his attic (which was much bigger than an average sized attic, mind you) It was cluttered with what most people would immediately label off as junk, but to Ted, it was his masterpiece. The pieces just needed to be put together to make something great. Strange contraptions of various sizes filled the room, and scrap metal and things no one would have a name for littered the spacious floor. The attic was dark; only a single light bulb hung from the ceiling. A candle sat on the desk next to a mountain of papers, lit and dancing in the darkness.

Although he was quite intelligent, he was also quite careless.

His attic had almost been set aflame several times, and he had almost been injured multiple times by his failed inventions. But Ted Starling was never one to give up, and he refused to listen to anyone when they tried to convince him to do so.

"_You're so irresponsible," _his brother would always say. _"One day you're going to be in a situation and you'll have no idea what to do."_

"_Says the one who willingly drank poison."_

Even geniuses had their flaws.

Ted would spend hours in his attic, sketching various plans and blueprints, putting together objects that no one would have ever considered to be able to work together. It was due to this that he had become quite unsociable. The only visitors he had were his clients, and he rarely had any social calls. Even his sister and brother rarely visited him. The only frequent visitor was that pesky Gnat, and Ted could hardly call him a friend.

"_You're always stuck up in here," _he would say. "_People are going to think that you need to be taken to the nuthouse."_

"_And how do you know I don't need to be?"_

His attic was his sanctuary, his home, and in some cases, his asylum.

He would stay up there for hours, completely oblivious to the world outside. His plans and inventions trapped him in the dark space, completely determined to keep him in with them. It was as if he was trapped in a maze, the only companions with him being his own inventions. He couldn't seem to get out, no matter what anyone did. Because of this he had become quite sickly; pale and with a hacking cough, he sounded as if he had already aged a decade. And in the darkness, if you gazed at him in a certain light, his hair would seem to have turned gray.

But really, he didn't mind.

His inventions were his only friends; always there for him and always there to keep him company. He knew that, unlike the other residents in Wonderland, his inventions would never betray him. The only time anyone ever saw Ted Starling happy was when he made a new invention. The liveliness everyone would see when his inventions worked would make him seem like a totally different person. His inventions were everything.

_If only he knew they would also be his downfall._

_~You have to be half mad to dream me up. – The Mad Hatter_

**a.n.**___Not one of my best chapters. I had no idea what I was going to write for this chapter. I had a hard time writing this one. I hope you still managed to find something promising in this chapter. I updated this one quite quickly, seeing as we'll never get to the main plot by the rate I'm going. I still have many characters I need to introduce, so I hope the updates will get speedier. _

_Why I've based Ted off of the White Knight: The White Knight is from 'Through The Looking-Glass' and is an inventor who rescues Alice from the Red Knight. In one of the Rapid Fire books, I believe it was said that Ted was the smarter one of the Starlings, and so I based him off of the White Knight. There is no White Knight in 'Alice In The Country of Hearts'._


	8. The Red Knight

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter Eight: The Red Knight**

There used to be a rumor going around Wonderland that claimed that Ned Starling tested his experiments on himself. Although he was a scientist, the rumor was never actually confirmed, and so it eventually died.

But, then again, rumors never truly died.

With a negative attitude and the sarcasm to match, no one ever bothered to try to hold a casual conversation with him (Not that he minded; they were all idiots anyway) After all, only idiots would actually believe that he tested his experiments on _himself._

Right?

The only person he ever really had constant contact with was his brother 'The White Knight,' and that seemed to be the only time he could actually be called somewhat sane.

The 'Red Knight' and the 'White Knight.' The two nicknames were spoken with condescension and mockery, and they left a bitter taste in his mouth every time he said the names. It was ironic that the two most distant and strange residents in Wonderland would be called knights, but he supposed that was the point.

All of the most famous and well-known residents in Wonderland were given a nickname at some point, whether by the other residents or themselves.

But mostly by other residents. After all, who would dare to give themselves such a foolish nickname?

Ned didn't have the best relationship with the other residents; mostly because they were either wary of him or just detested him.

He didn't mind. It wasn't as if he liked any of them anyway.

His brother claimed that his pessimistic and scornful attitude was due to the fact that he purposely distanced himself from the world, and did such crazy and insane experiments.

Ned always snorted at the thought of that statement. His brother was one to talk.

His relationship with his sister was strained at best. She seemed to be able to at least tolerate him _most _of the time, although there were times when she deemed it fit to try to claw his eyes out.

There was a reason he had given her the nickname of 'Cheshire Cat'.

It wasn't as if he _hated _his sister. She could be useful when needed, and it wasn't as if he thought that she was the worse sister in the world.

No, that was the Duchess. He pitied that horrible Knave of Hearts.

The description of his experiments in general was quite horrible and hard to describe, and so most residents didn't actually know the true nature of them. They were kept secret, and so the only people who really knew what they were were Ned himself and his brother (Although there was another rumor that claimed that it had been the fault of one of his experiments that the Hatter had awoken one morning with no voice, but no one dared ask for fear of the Hatter's wrath.)

Ned didn't much like the Hatter.

It wasn't that he was jealous that he spent more time with his sister than him, or that he seemed to grab more attention because of his occupation; of course not. Ned Starling did not _get _jealous.

And, again, he did not like his sister much anyway.

There was just something about him that made Ned wary, but, then again, he was always wary of everyone. He had never fully trusted anyone since his parents had abandoned him and his siblings when they were young. Most people didn't know this tidbit from their pasts (Except for that detested Knave of Hearts; there was a reason Ned hated him the most out of everyone) He didn't enjoy pity, and he didn't need it. His past was his business. It wasn't something he particularly liked to think about, and it left him bitter and irritated when he thought about it. It was better just to think that he had always been a scientist, and had never had any parents in the first place.

The thought made him smile.

It was rare in Wonderland to see a smile on Ned Starling's face. But he never went outside much anyway, so it wasn't as if anyone really saw much of him.

Except for that knave, but that was a secret kept between the two of them.

That pesky knave made it his business to make a visit every week. Ned had never known the true nature of his visits, but he knew that he didn't like them at all. The knave was most interested in his experiments, and seemed to make it his business to know every little thing about him that could be used as blackmail.

Sometimes- no, _all _the time- Ned wanted to see him hit by a car; preferably his own.

Too bad he didn't know how to drive.

The last time he had attempted to was about three years ago, and it had ended with a scar on his temple, his paying for the damages, and setting the Duchess's hair on fire.

Don't ask.

Of course, there were also people that he liked _somewhat_, and one of those people was the Lizard.

The librarian in town, he worked at the only library in Wonderland. The shelves went all the way up to the ceiling, and thousands of books could be seen there. Although Ned rarely went outside, he attempted to at least make a short visit at the library every so often. Sometimes he sent little notes to the Lizard stating that he was fine, and had not managed to kill himself or set his house on fire.

They both knew that the Lizard worried about him, and Ned tried to at least manage the decency to lessen his burdens. After all, besides his brother, the Lizard was the closest thing to a friend he had ever had.

Which was strange, because he was one of the only residents that was actually sane.

_~I'm afraid so. You're completely mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are. - Alice_

**a.n. **_Yes, I updated. Are you shocked?_

_After more than a month, I finally decided to actually update this story. Remember when there was a time that I actually had the nerve to say that I'd update this story every week?_

_Yeah, that sure worked out, didn't it?_

_When is the next chapter going to be posted? When I feel like it, or when somebody manages to pester me enough to update. I'd like to say that I'll manage to get the next chapter up in the coming week, but then you'd be disappointed._

_If anything, it'll probably be at the end of May, but with my irregular update schedule and hectic school life, it might be in June._

_Keep your fingers crossed. :/_

_Why I've based Ned off of the Red Knight: Because Ted was the White Knight, and it only makes sense that Ned would be the Red Knight. The Red Knight is from 'Through The Looking-Glass' and there is no Red Knight in 'Alice In The Country of Hearts'._


	9. The Crow

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter Nine: The Crow**

Hamilton Holt was a truck driver.

Yes, don't laugh.

His parents were the law enforcement in town, so it had been a surprise to everyone when he had announced that he would become a _truck driver _of all things. (Not that there was anything wrong with truck drivers.)

In Wonderland, it was an unspoken law that everyone with a title must have a profession that no one else had, but Hamilton Holt had broken that law easily enough. His parents had- like everyone- expected him to become part of the law enforcement. 'RESPECT THE LAW OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES' was their motto. (And, it just so happened to also be the sign nailed to the front of their door.) They were respected and feared in town, (More feared than anything else) and were known for their harsh demeanor and unfair punishments.

No one with a title had ever gottten punished by them, however, seeing as they focused mostly on the nameless citizens who held no power in town at all. Dealing with the more famous residents were usually messy and had bad consequences, so they were generally left alone.

Hamilton didn't like it.

He had been silently protesting his parents' ways ever since he had earned a title himself. Once he had, it seemed that his parents were either less strict on him or more so. He wasn't quite sure himself.

The moment he had been able to choose a profession for himself, the answer had come quickly enough.

A truck driver.

They were able to travel on the road, listen to the radio all day, eat whatever they wanted without anyone saying a thing, and talk on those old CB radios he had always seen on TV.

It was paradise, and it enabled him to _get the heck out of Wonderland_.

The place was suffocating, the residents were crazy, and no one seemed to like him much anyway.

The feeling was mutual.

With crazy things happening on a regular basis, and the most insane residents imaginable, the town was a ticking time bomb. It was only a matter of time before it exploded.

_Wonder_land? Yeah, right. It was a _wonder _why anyone even stayed there.

With a lot of pent up anger, and some bitter resentment mixed in with it, Hamilton Holt had anger management issues. Add that with his intimidating physique, and it had earned him the title of 'The Crow'.

If anything, he was feared in silence. But to the other titled residents of Wonderland, he didn't seem to be _deserving _of the nickname.

And perhaps they were right; by what they had seen of him, he didn't seem to be capable of hurting a fly.

But the Knave of Hearts and the Hatter saw things differently.

The Knave knew what to do to make him angry. He knew the right buttons to push and the right things to say. With that condescending smirk of his, and that dark twinkle in his eyes, he had earned himself the top spot of Hamilton's 'People I Hate Most' list.

The Hatter was second.

Hamilton could tell that he was suspicious of him; the wary glances and the slight downturn of his lips when he saw him were indication enough. He didn't even seem to have the decency to make his suspicious and obvious dislike of him a secret.

So, poisoning his tea was only giving him what he deserved.

The only person Hamilton relatively _liked _was the Gnat. He wasn't afraid to do what he wanted and say what needed to be said. If anything, he was one of the few residents who actually shared Hamilton's desire of getting out of Wonderland. With his laidback demeanor and his casual actions, he was the only person besides his sisters that had earned himself a spot on his 'People I Like' list.

So, when he had heard the news that he would soon be working for the Red Queen, Hamilton had felt a deep sense of betrayal. It was practically an act of treason; a stab in the back.

And, after he had heard the news of his friend's sickening betrayal, his anger had gotten the best of him, and it was a wonder why his parents hadn't made him pay for all of the damage he had caused because of this.

So who had paid for his sudden burst of anger?

_The Duchess_.

She _knew _why he had lost his temper. She _knew _what was the cause of his frustrations. She knew _everything._

(Well, her brother did anyway.)

And she had a proposition for him.

_"All you need to do is spy on them for me; get as much information out of them as you can."_

_"How am I supposed to do that?"_

_"Stay friends with the Gnat. Earn enough of his trust that he tells you what exactly he does for my mother."_

_"What's in it for me?"_

_"I can get you anything you want."_

He wanted out of Wonderland. For _good_.

_"Your strength could also be of use. How would you like working for me?"_

He didn't like it at all.

_"You can work with my Hatter."_

He snorted at the remembrance of that statement. It wasn't doing her any favors mentioning him.

_"I don't like _your _Hatter much."_

That smirk that he had seen on her face reminded him too much of her brother. He didn't like it.

_"You say that with such a condescending tone. He _is _my Hatter. He is my knight."_

_"Your knight?"_

_"Yes. He is my knight on the chessboard."_

_"And what would I be?"_

_"You would be my rook."_

_"Isn't that of higher value than a knight?"_

Because, contrary to popular belief, Hamilton Holt was not an idiot.

_"I need you more than I need him."_

She knew what to say to get him to agree.

_But he was a fool for trusting a chess master, for which piece of the game is more well-known? The rook or the knight?_

_The pieces of the game always betray their master, and only one ever really remains._

_Who will it be?_

Hamilton had a plan; he knew she was secretly trying to find a way to make him stay. He knew that, at the end of it all, she wasn't really doing any of this for _his _sake. She had a larger plan in mind; he was only but one small part of her game.

He would let her think she was controlling him for now, but, one day, _he _would beat the chess master at her own game.

He most certainly wouldn't be the last piece at her side.

_~Why is a raven like a writing desk? - The Mad Hatter_

**a.n. **_Two more characters to introduce, and then the real story will start. I plan to update the next two chapters in the upcoming two days. If I forget, however, I am relying on Gone-san to remind me. _

_Why I've based Hamilton off of The Crow: The Crow is from 'Through The Looking-Glass' and is known to be feared and have a monstrous size. I gave Hamilton the title of 'The Crow' because of his strength, and the fact that Amy and Dan had used to have been scared of him at the beginning of the clue hunt. There is no Crow in 'Alice In The Country of Hearts'._


	10. The March Hare

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter Ten: The March Hare**

**(Also known as the Duchess' Cook)**

1.) Food

2.) Music

3.) Insanity

That was how Nellie Gomez saw the world. (Not particularly in that order.)

You needed food to survive, music to stay sane, and insanity to mess everything up again. This philosophy was especially true in the town of Wonderland.

Mad as a March hare, (please excuse the pun) Nellie was usually the one you wanted to avoid in Wonderland. (But, then again, who _wouldn't _you want to avoid there?) With music seeming to be the only thing going on in her head, she was usually distracted, and so everyone would find it difficult to ever really get her attention. Her earbuds were always in her ears, and a cooking book was always within her range. (There was a rumor going around town that she hid various poisons in her cookbook. There was a reason why no one ever went to dinner parties at the Duchess' house.)

And that was another thing: She was the Duchess' Cook.

She could make anything that the Duchess desired to be made, and that was probably the only good thing she was known for. Back when she had first entered the town, she had worked as the assistant chef at a restaurant near the edge of town. (The restaurant was closed now, having been bought by the Red Queen and abandoned to the rats right after.) The Duchess had seen her potential and talent, and so had decided to hire her as her personal cook.

_"Why would I want to work for a little girl?"_

_"I'll pay you better."_

Nellie loved money a little more than she should have. It was a shame that she would lose all of it just a few days after she would earn it.

In short, she had a gambling problem. (She would never admit it aloud, however.)

Shocking to most outsiders who had heard of Wonderland, (which, really, weren't many) the town had one of the biggest casinos in the state.

Well, that wasn't quite true.

The casino was _near _the end of town, just a few feet away from the border of Wonderland. It had just opened when Nellie had moved to town, and she had heard about it right quick.

It was a wonder why the Duchess hadn't fired her by now, seeing as Nellie took a little too many days off.

The Duchess wasn't home very often in the first place, so, really, Nellie didn't even have a job to do. With no frequent guests coming over besides the Hatter, (who, admittedly, Nellie was quite fond of) she didn't really _do_ anything. She cooked for her own pleasure and amusement, and the majority of her days were spent listening to music and flipping through recipes in her cookbook that she would never be able to make. Her nights were spent at the casino, gambling all of her money away.

Just because she gambled on a regular basis, didn't mean that she was good at it.

Because of this, she had earned more debts than she was able to pay off, and so she was careful to avoid showing her face whenever she went outside.

She had so many debts to pay off, she had forgotten who exactly she owed them to.

Which had turned out to be a huge problem, seeing as she didn't know who to avoid meeting. She could have owed a debt to the _Gnat _for all she knew.

It was a bad situation she was in, but that didn't stop the late night casino visits.

The Hatter was worried about her, she knew, and she couldn't help but be a little flattered at the fact. She wasn't really close to anyone in town, but the Hatter had become a sort of younger brother to her. He was constantly worried about her, and she offered him advice when he needed it. He told her stories about the other titled residents of Wonderland, (for it was hard to get information about the outside world when she was hardly in it) and she listened to him patiently, humming a song she had heard a few minutes before under her breath. Because of that, the Hatter usually had a hard time distinguishing whether or not she was actually listening to him, but he never complained. She was better company than the Duchess at least, and the Cheshire Cat would have gotten annoyed with his complaints and stories.

Nellie couldn't say that she was _fond _of the Duchess. It was more of _tolerance _than anything else. The Duchess gave her residence and money, and that was that. They didn't bother each other, and didn't ask anything about what they did during their time away from each other.

That wasn't to say that the Duchess felt the same way.

If anything, Nellie was probably more of a _burden _than anything else. With her constant need for music, and her infuriating comments, she was probably the person who irritated the Duchess the most. (Besides that blasted Gnat anyway.)

But she hadn't ever actually fired her, and so Nellie went on doing what she wanted.

Every so often the Gnat would stop by, and he would always try to strike up a conversation with her. (Because of this, she had started to assume that the Gnat _wasn't _someone she owed money to.) He was nice enough, and somewhat pleasant to be around. He amused her with his excited ramblings about a video game he had just beaten, or a particularly pathetic story about some bad luck he had encountered.

If only he wasn't constantly trying to steal the food she made. She would have liked him a lot better otherwise. (Stealing her food or interrupting her cooking was definitely _not _tolerated, and everyone who tried found themselves punished right quick.)

Another thing she liked about the Gnat was that he absolutely _infuriated _the Duchess. It was like watching a tennis game: They were constantly sharing snarky comments back and forth. If anything, she liked how the kid wouldn't ever shut up. There was never a dull or silent moment between them, and she could never find herself bored when he was around.

So, somehow, she had earned enough of his trust that he had given her the knowledge that he had invited his sister over to live with him for some time.

She already felt sorry for her.

_~Why, sometimes, I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. - The White Queen_

**a.n. **_I realize that some of you might have thought that the last two characters to be introduced would be Madison and Reagan, but, no. I have a totally different plan for them all together._

_After this, there is one more character to introduce, and then we will begin with the story. Some characters, such as the White Rabbit and the Caterpillar, will not be introduced until later in the story, since they will not even appear until later. If I introduce them now, you all would probably forget about them by the time they actually appear in the story. So, near the time they actually appear, I will write the character introduction for them. The reason that I am now introducing the characters I have already introduced is because they have a larger role to play in the story, or because they appear early on. Even if some of them aren't exactly in the story as much as others, they will be frequently mentioned. _

_The Queen of Hearts/Red Queen will not have a character introduction any time soon. She will not be appearing in the story yet, but will be mentioned frequently. It's already probably pretty obvious who she is anyway. _

_The next chapter will be posted tomorrow, and I will be introducing the Lizard._

_Why I've based Nellie off of the March Hare/The Duchess' Cook: The March Hare is from 'Alice In Wonderland' and I believe is also in 'Through The Looking-Glass' and is known to be mad, even insane. The March Hare sings for the Queen of Hearts, and we all know that Nellie loves her music and loves to sing, no matter how bad she is at it. The Duchess' Cook, I believe is from 'Alice In Wonderland' and is a servant for the Duchess. She is, obviously, the cook, and absolutely hates it when people interrupt her cooking, and we all know that Nellie loves food and loves to cook. The March Hare in 'Alice In The Country of Hearts' is named Elliot March, and he is constantly stating that he is not a rabbit, but a hare, and claims that he doesn't like carrots, even though he constantly eats carrot dishes. He comes across as kind and willing to help Alice, but is also willing to kill people without hesitation. He is dedicated to serving the Hatter. There is no Duchess' Cook in 'Alice In The Country of Hearts'._


	11. The Lizard

**Mad, Mad Wonderland**

**Chapter Eleven: The Lizard**

Being a librarian wasn't the most unique job to have, but, in the town of Wonderland, it was very unique indeed. There was currently only one library left in town; one of the only buildings that the Queen of Hearts did not own. It just so happened to be the biggest building in Wonderland, with enough room for dozens of bookcases with hundreds of books. It was an impressive sight, and, really, one of the only redeeming traits of Wonderland was the library. Both nameless and titled residents went there, and, although it could hardly be called busy, it was doing well enough on its own without the help of the Queen of Hearts.

Evan Tolliver was the only librarian who worked there, and, he had to admit, it was probably the nicest job he could have had in Wonderland. Compared to the other titled residents, he was relatively newer, and had been the last of them all to get a title. When he had first started his job, he had just been one of the nameless residents in the town of Wonderland. They were usually looked over and stepped on, but he found that being nameless was much better than having a title. There was no drama to deal with and no titled residents to interact with. It had been much more enjoyable and peaceful to be a librarian when he had just been nameless.

That wasn't to say that he _disliked_ his job.

No, in reality, he _loved _his job. Being a librarian gave him the privilege to immerse himself in books all day. With how much time he spent in the library, he had learned to love all sorts of genres, from science fiction to mystery. He knew the library like the back of his hand, and knew exactly where a certain book would be. It was impressive, and residents had always found themselves wondering after they had met him how he could so easily remember everything.

In reality, Evan didn't know himself.

There were books of all different kinds in the library. There were dozens of books about the history of Wonderland. (It was, of course, the only place where you could find information about it.) If one were to look hard enough, it was sure enough that they would find something interesting.

He didn't know many people in Wonderland, and, so, in a way, the library was all he had. He spent the majority of his days there after all.

The Red Knight gave him his title.

Although he had heard rumors of the Red Knight rarely ever going out, he had seen him every so often enter into the library. His hair was always rumpled and a disgruntled look was always on his face, but he entered quietly and his footsteps always echoed across the wooden floors in a way that made Evan feel calm and relaxed. He had an air about him that spoke of calmness and peace, but the rumors circulating him were anything but that. For the first few visits, Evan had just ignored him, and the only thing that had made him remember that he was even there in the first place was the sound of his footsteps. The Red Knight didn't speak to him, and he didn't bother him in return.

But, eventually, they had started to talk.

_"How long have you worked here?"_

Evan had been startled the first time he had directly spoken to him, and it hadn't helped that his eyes remained dull and lifeless when he had turned to look at him.

_"Uh, I think it's been about two years."_

_"And you're the only one working here?"_

_"Yeah, but it's not that big of a deal. It's never really busy here in the first place."_

Ever since the first conversation, they had spoken to each other every time the Red Knight visited. They didn't ask each other any personal questions. Their conversations consisted of small talk and happenings around town.

_"Do the other residents come here?"_

_"Yeah, sometimes. I don't think I've ever seen your brother, though."_

_"He's practically a recluse. Don't start hoping you will."_

Evan had noticed early on that the Red Knight tended to try to sound a bit more polite around him. He had asked quickly enough why that was.

_"Because you're the only sane one around here, and you don't irritate me as much as everyone else."_

He hadn't been sure how to take that.

_"I think I'll call you the Lizard."_

The comment had come out casually, and Evan had immediately dropped the book he had been reading the moment he had heard it.

_"You work for the residents of Wonderland, don't you? The Lizard did too."_

He had wanted to protest at first; it had never been his intention to earn a title for himself. It would just have him gain more attention than he wanted.

But, it would earn more publicity for his library.

Ever since the day he had earned his title, the other titled residents had started to look at him differently. The Duchess would glance at him suspiciously ever so often, the Knave had started to be a little _too _interested in his business, and the Hatter would send him hard stares whenever they met eyes.

He was just plain Evan Tolliver; he didn't want to be the Lizard.

He knew he wasn't the most popular or interesting of the titled residents, but he still had a title, and that had people looking at him differently. It was as if he were a monster, or part of some zoo. It was like they all expected him to have monstrous anger issues like the Crow, or be as distrustful as the Cheshire Cat. He wasn't anything like them; he was normal and was the odd one out. He had no unique qualities that made him special or made him stand out. He was just a librarian.

So, why did he keep drawing attention to himself?

He rarely ever stepped out into the heart of Wonderland. He had never visited the other residents, and had never been seen anywhere besides the library. In a way, he was just as much a recluse as the White Knight.

He shivered at the thought.

He had never met the White Knight. Really, he had never seen him before, but he assumed that he would look much like the Red Knight.

_"My brother rarely ever steps out of his house. By the way he reacts when I ask him to, you'd think the sun would turn him to ashes."_

Evan had always been a curious person, and he was most curious about the other residents. They referred to the others by their titles, not by their real names. Evan himself didn't mind when people called him by the name he had been born with, but it seemed that the only person who actually called him 'Evan' was the Red Knight. (Which was ironic, seeing as he had been the one to give him his title in the first place.)

The Red Knight called him by his given name, and Evan called him by his.

_"I never got your real name."_

_"You never asked for it."_

_"Well, do you mind if I ask now?"_

_"...Ned Starling."_

In a way, Ned Starling was the sanest person Evan had met in Wonderland.

But, then again, he was really the _only _person he had really met.

If anything, Evan Tolliver's greatest fear was losing his sanity.

(After all, it was a little too late to fear for anyone else's.)

_~Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. - The Cheshire Cat_

**a.n. **_The last character introduction. _

_**Finally.**_

_The next chapter will be the start of the real story. I don't know when it'll be up._

_Why I've based Evan off of the Lizard: The Lizard in 'Alice In Wonderland' works for the White Rabbit, and also does various jobs for the other residents in Wonderland. Truthfully, I don't actually remember why I based him off of the Lizard... The Lizard in 'Alice In The Country of Hearts' is named Gray Ringmarc, and he works for The Caterpillar. He is a former assassin, but is actually quite kind and cares for others. He is a poor cook and artist, and is a workaholic, always trying to get The Caterpillar to do his work. _


End file.
